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SALT LAKE CITY – MARCH 21: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders shakes hands after a speech at West High School at a campaign rally on March 21, 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Republican and Democratic caucuses are March 22. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

Political Scrutiny 101

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A History of Cynicism in Recent Democratic Presidential Races

Mark Twain supposedly said, “history doesn’t repeat but it does rhyme.” Yet history, in the Democratic primary, appears to be repeating.

Democrats are well known for circular firing squads and eating their own. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm often abates during general elections against actual ideological opponents.

Former Vice President Al Gore’s savage attacks on former Sen. Bill Bradley in 2000 contrasted with this lackluster general election campaign. This week, it appeared the campaign of former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was following Gore’s lead.

In 2000, Sen. Bradley proposed health care legislation which was similar to the overhaul advocated by the Clintons and Vice President Gore in 1994. Still Gore criticized Bradley’s plan for being both too large and too small. The media never picked up on this hypocrisy and the Bradley campaign failed to effectively defuse the attacks.